Floating toy with integral catch system

ABSTRACT

Inflatable toys and related methods are generally described. In some embodiments, an inflatable toy may be multifunctional, allowing a user to use the toy for multiple activities or games. In some embodiments, the toy may include a removable body, which may be removed from the toy to allow the user to switch between various games. In some embodiments, the removable body may include one or more projections which may receive one or more rings for a game of ring toss. In some embodiments, the toy may include a depression in which it may receive one or more projectiles for a game of cornhole. The inflatable toy may be used while floating on water or placed on solid land.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/076,711, filed Sep. 10, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

Disclosed embodiments are related to toys and inflatables, and more particularly, to inflatable pool toys.

BACKGROUND

When visiting the pool or beach, children and adults alike often enjoy playing with beach balls, pool toys, and inflatables. In particular, inflatable sports-type toys, such as tossing, shooting and throwing games, are common and well enjoyed.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, an inflatable toy includes a primary body comprising one or more projections, e.g., the primary body may be elongated and have the one or more projections extend at least in part perpendicularly or otherwise transversely from the elongated body. Other portions of the projections can extend upwardly or along a length of the primary body, e.g., to define an upwardly extending part. A secondary body can include at least one depression configured to removably receive a portion of the primary body. For example, the secondary body can form a base of the inflatable toy configured to support the toy on the ground or water surface (e.g., by floating), and can receive and support the primary body so the primary body extends vertically upward from the base. The toy can include a first and second plurality of throwable structures. The first plurality of throwable structures can be configured to be positioned around or over a projection on the primary body, e.g., the first throwable structures can include closed or split rings, hoops or other ring-shaped elements configured to be positioned over or around a projection. The second throwable structures can be configured to be positioned within the at least one depression, e.g., the second throwable structures can be bean bags, balls or other structures configured to be received into a cavity, hole or other depression in an upper surface of the secondary body. As a result, the toy can have at least two different configurations, i.e., one in which the primary body is supported by the secondary body so a user can throw rings or other structures onto projections on the primary body, and a second in which a user can throw bags or balls into the cavity used to support the primary body.

In some embodiments, the secondary body includes at least one grommet or other anchor configured to stabilize the toy. For example, a line, stake or other stay can be engaged with the grommet or other anchor and with the ground or other structure to secure the toy in a particular location, e.g., to resist tipping or other movement of the toy.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of the primary body extends substantially normal to or upwardly relative to the secondary body when the portion is positioned within the at least one depression.

In some embodiments, the primary body resembles a cactus.

In some embodiments, a method of operating a toy includes inflating a primary body with a fluid, such as air, and inflating a secondary body with a fluid, such as air and/or water. For example, partially inflating the secondary body with water can help stabilize the secondary body to function as a base for the toy, and partially inflating the secondary body with air can reduce the overall weight of the secondary body and/or help the secondary body float on water. A portion of the primary body can be positioned in a depression of the secondary body, e.g., so the secondary body supports the primary body in an upright position, so the primary body extends perpendicularly or upwardly from the secondary body. For example, the secondary body can have a hole or cavity formed in an upper surface of the secondary body to receive a lower end of the primary body so that the primary body can extend upwardly from the secondary body. In some cases, the secondary body can be floated on water, e.g., so the secondary body supports the primary body above a surface of the water. At least one of a first structure can be positioned around at least one projection extending from the primary body, e.g., by throwing the first structure such as a ring-shaped element from a distance so the ring-shaped element is captured on a projection of the primary body. In some cases, the at least one projection can extend at least in part perpendicularly or otherwise transversely from the primary body, which can be elongated and extend in a vertical direction.

In some embodiments, the primary body can be removed from the depression of the secondary body, e.g., to expose a hole, cavity or other depression of the secondary body. In some cases, at least one of a second structure such as a bean bag or ball can be positioned within the depression of the secondary body, e.g., by throwing the second structure from a distance so the second structure is received into the depression. In some embodiments, one or more cords or other stabilizing structures can be connected to at least one grommet or other anchor attached to the secondary body to stabilize the toy.

It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Further, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows, according to some embodiments, an inflatable toy in a first configuration;

FIG. 2 shows, according to some embodiments, an inflatable toy in a second configuration;

FIG. 3 shows, according to some embodiments, an inflatable toy in operation;

FIG. 4 shows, according to some embodiments, a side view of an inflatable toy; and

FIG. 5 shows, according to some embodiments, a close-up view of an inflatable toy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Sports-type toys can be used in outdoor environments to enhance outdoor game play. The Inventors have recognized that in some cases, inflatable toys can have a large volumetric footprint, even when deflated. This may limit the number of toys which can be stored for a given household, and may therefore limit the number of games or activities a household can enjoy. Furthermore, in some cases, inflatable toys can be used in a variety of outdoor environments (e.g., in a park, pool, backyard, lake) in the summertime.

In view of the above, the Inventors have recognized the benefits associated with a self-balancing inflatable toy. The inflatable toy may be convertible between various forms of game play, while maintaining safety and reliability. Instances in which different benefits are offered by the systems and methods disclosed herein are also possible.

In some embodiments, an inflatable toy may be used in a pool, sea, ocean, lake, river or any other suitable location. The inflatable toy may be self-balancing, such that it retains its upright position even when floating. In some embodiments, the self-balancing inflatable toy may achieve a self-balancing effect due to perpendicular horizontal and vertical segments. The inflatable toy may include a plurality of grommets, such as one, two, three or four, or any other suitable amounts, for tethering to land, a buoy or any other suitable location for keeping the toy in place. In some embodiments, the grommet(s) may stabilize the toy during game play. In some embodiments, the inflatable toy may be formed for use as a floating device and/or it may also be used on dry land.

Turning to the figures, specific non-limiting embodiments are described in further detail. It should be understood that the various systems, components, features, and methods described relative to these embodiments may be used either individually and/or in any desired combination as the disclosure is not limited to only the specific embodiments described herein.

FIG. 1 shows, according to some embodiments, an inflatable toy 100 in a first configuration. In the depicted configuration, the inflatable toy (hereinafter also referred to as “toy”) 100 may be used for a ring toss activity.

In some embodiments, the toy 100 may include one or more of a primary body 110, and a secondary body 120. The inflatable toy may also be associated with, or may include, one or more hoops 150 and other projectiles. As will be described in greater detail below, the primary body 110 may include one or more projections 140 configured to receive hoops 150 for successful game play.

The primary body 110 may include one or more of a primary shell 101, a primary cavity formed internal to the shell 101, a primary valve, and one or more one or more projections 140. The primary valve may be embedded in the primary body 110 and configured to receive a fluid from a pump, or a user's mouth to inflate the primary body 110. In some embodiments, the fluid may be air. The primary cavity may be configured to expand as the fluid flows into the shell.

In some embodiments, the primary shell 101 may be formed of any suitable material, such as a flexible material. The primary shell 101 may form the primary cavity, the primary cavity being bounded by the primary shell. In some embodiments, the primary body 110 may extend substantially upwards from a placement surface.

In some embodiments, the one or more projections may be made of a flexible material. The one or more projections may extend from the primary body in any suitable direction or combination of directions, such as upward or perpendicular. The one or more projections 140 may have any suitable size and may extend any suitable amount (e.g., six inches) away from the main body. The one or more projections may have any suitable aspect ratio to allow a user to place or throw a ring-shaped object around said projection. For example, in some embodiments, the diameter of one or more projections may be less than half the length of the projections. It should be appreciated that the toy may include any suitable number of projections in any suitable arrangement. In some embodiments, the toy may include a plurality of similarly-shaped/sized projections. In some embodiments, the toy may include a plurality of projections with different sizes and/or shapes. The one or more projections 140 may be configured to receive and hold the hoops 150, and prevent said hoops from sliding off the toy 100. In some embodiments, the one or more projections 140, when fully inflated, may have an angle of any suitable amount, such as between 0 and 90 degrees from the placement surface. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the one or more projections 140 may have a portion substantially in parallel with the placement surface and a portion substantially orthogonal to the placement surface. This may occur if the one or more projections is fully inflated, and when the primary body 110 is substantially vertical.

In some embodiments, a toy 100 may include a secondary body 120. The secondary body 120 may include a secondary shell, a secondary cavity, a secondary valve, and an anchor adapter 130. The secondary valve may be embedded in the secondary body and configured to receive fluid from, and by, engaging with a pump or a user's mouth. The fluid may be transferred from the pump or the user's mouth into the secondary cavity to inflate the secondary shell. The secondary shell may be formed of any suitable material, such as a flexible material. The secondary cavity may be bound by the secondary shell. The secondary cavity may be configured to expand as the fluid flows into the shell.

In some embodiments, the secondary body 120 may include a depression configured to receive the base of the primary body 110 and maintain the primary body in a substantially vertical orientation, as shown in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the primary body 110 may be substantially normal to the secondary body 120. The depression may be configured to receive other projectiles when the primary body is not received and maintained therein.

In some embodiments, the secondary shell may be configured to be placed upon a placement surface. The placement surface may be a body of water, and the shell may be configured to float upon the water. In some embodiments, the toy 100 may include one or more anchor adapters 130 or grommets, which may each include a hook. The hook may be configured to connect to an anchoring cord to keep the toy 100 in a suitable orientation during game play. In some embodiments, the toy 100 may be configured to be used (e.g., for one or more activities) without the engagement of an anchoring cord to its anchor adapters.

As shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the primary body 110 may have a visually appealing shape. In some embodiments, the primary body may resemble a cactus. The primary body 110 may include a base (which may be inserted into the depression of the secondary body 120) and may be sufficiently weighted to prevent the primary body 110 from toppling or tipping over during game play (e.g., when hit by one or more hoops 150), or due to environmental conditions (e.g., wind).

In some embodiments, the primary body 110 may be removed from the toy 100 to place the toy in a second configuration, as shown in FIG. 2. The primary body 110 may have been inserted into a depression 160, which may now be configured to receive one or more projectiles 170. For example, the projectiles 170 may be inflatable and/or weighted bags which may be used for a game of cornhole. It should be appreciated that the projectiles 170 may be any suitable throwable structures, including, but not limited to, inflatable balloons, bean bags, balls or other structures configured to be received into a cavity, hole or other depression in an upper surface of the secondary body. In some embodiments, the depression 160 may not be a through-hole, such that it may retain one or more projectiles 170 during game play.

FIG. 3 shows an inflatable toy 100, according to some embodiments, which may be suitable for use in a pool 10. In some embodiments, an upper surface of the secondary body 120 may be slightly angled or tapered in relation to its placement surface (e.g., water surface) to enhance game play. For example, the angle of the secondary body 120 may increase the difficulty of throwing the projectiles 170 into the depression 160, similar to conventional cornhole game play. In some embodiments, the angle or taper of the secondary body 120 may visually expose the depression 160. In some embodiments, the angle or taper of the secondary body 120 may allow projectiles 170 and/or hoops 150 to slide off of the body 120 during unsuccessful game play. In this way, the projectiles and/or hoops may be rapidly collected for continued game play. In some embodiments, the one or more hoops 150 may also be configured to float on water. The hoops 150 may be inflatable (e.g., filled with fluid lighter than water, to achieve buoyancy) and/or may be formed of a lightweight material (e.g., foam) to prevent sinking. The hoops 150 may include one or more ports configured to inflate the hoops. The hoops may then be deflated to reduce the overall storage footprint of the toy. It should be appreciated that any suitable throwable structure may be used in place or in addition to the hoops 150, including, but not limited to closed or split rings, hoops or other ring-shaped elements configured to be positioned over or around the projection.

FIG. 4 shows an inflatable toy 100 in the second configuration. In some embodiments, the toy may have an inflated volume comprising various dimensions, such as an overall height H1, overall width W1, and overall length L1. It should be appreciated that the inflatable toys of the present disclosure may be any suitable size for game play for children and/or adults of all ages. In some embodiments, the overall height H1 (which may include the primary body 110 inserted into a depression of the secondary body 120) may be at least 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet, and/or any other suitable value. In some embodiments, the overall height H1 may be greater than or equal to 6 feet, 5 feet, 4 feet, 3 feet, 2 feet, 1 feet, and/or any other suitable value. Combinations of ranges of the foregoing are also contemplated, including between 1 foot and 6 feet, between 2 feet and 6 feet, and/or any other suitable range. In some embodiments, the overall height H1 may be 5 feet. In some embodiments, the overall width W1 may be at least 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet, and/or any other suitable value. In some embodiments, the overall width W1 may be greater than or equal to 6 feet, 5 feet, 4 feet, 3 feet, 2 feet, 1 feet, and/or any other suitable value. Combinations of ranges of the foregoing are also contemplated, including between 1 foot and 6 feet, between 2 feet and 6 feet, and/or any other suitable range. In some embodiments, the overall width W1 may be 3 feet. In some embodiments, the overall length L1 may be at least 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet, and/or any other suitable value. In some embodiments, the overall length L1 may be greater than or equal to 6 feet, 5 feet, 4 feet, 3 feet, 2 feet, 1 feet, and/or any other suitable value. Combinations of ranges of the foregoing are also contemplated, including between 1 foot and 6 feet, between 2 feet and 6 feet, and/or any other suitable range. In some embodiments, the overall length L1 may be 2 feet. An upper surface of the secondary body 120 may be arranged at various angles relative to a lower surface of the secondary body 120, e.g., 5 to 45 degrees. The relative angle of the upper and lower surfaces of the secondary body 120 may define a taper of the secondary body 120, e.g., such that a rear side of the secondary body 120 has a larger height than a front side of the secondary body 120.

In some embodiments, the size of the toy may be optimized to provide buoyancy while reducing the risk of flipping or turning over (e.g., during game play). In some embodiments, the toy 100 may be able to achieve buoyancy even when accounting for the increased weight from the hoops 150.

FIG. 5 shows, according to some embodiments, an inflatable toy 100 with one or more grommets 130 for anchoring the inflatable toy. The grommets 130 may be formed to provide sufficient anchoring, without adversely affecting the delicate inflatable nature of the toy. The grommets 130 may be connected to one or more cables 230, which may maintain the toy 100 in a particular orientation during operation.

Having thus described several aspects of several embodiments of an inflatable toy, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art.

While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present disclosure is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the disclosure described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Further, though some advantages of the present invention may be indicated, it should be appreciated that not every embodiment of the invention will include every described advantage. Some embodiments may not implement any features described as advantageous. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

The section headings used are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described in any way.

Also, the technology described may be embodied as a method, of which at least one example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

All definitions, as defined and used, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

As used in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

Any terms as used herein related to shape, orientation, alignment, and/or geometric relationship of or between, for example, one or more articles, structures, forces, fields, flows, directions/trajectories, and/or subcomponents thereof and/or combinations thereof and/or any other tangible or intangible elements not listed above amenable to characterization by such terms, unless otherwise defined or indicated, shall be understood to not require absolute conformance to a mathematical definition of such term, but, rather, shall be understood to indicate conformance to the mathematical definition of such term to the extent possible for the subject matter so characterized as would be understood by one skilled in the art most closely related to such subject matter.

The claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements unless stated to that effect. It should be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. All embodiments that come within the spirit and scope of the following claims and equivalents thereto are claimed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An inflatable toy comprising: a primary body comprising one or more projections; a secondary body comprising at least one depression, wherein the primary body is configured to have a portion removably positioned within the at least one depression of the secondary body; a first plurality of throwable structures configured to be positioned around the one or more projections; and a second plurality of throwable structures configured to be positioned within the at least one depression.
 2. The toy of claim 1, wherein the secondary body further comprises at least one grommet configured to stabilize the toy.
 3. The toy of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the projections extend substantially normal to the secondary body.
 4. The toy of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the primary body extends substantially normal to the secondary body when the portion is positioned within the at least one depression.
 5. The toy of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of throwable structures are ring-shaped.
 6. The toy of claim 1, wherein the secondary body is configured to float on water.
 7. The toy of claim 1, wherein the primary body resembles a cactus.
 8. A method of operating a toy, the method comprising: inflating a primary body with a fluid; inflating a secondary body with the fluid; removably positioning a portion of the primary body into a depression of the secondary body; and positioning at least one of a first structure around at least one projection extending from the primary body.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing the primary body from the depression of the secondary body.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising positioning at least one of a second structure within the depression of the secondary body.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first structure is ring-shaped.
 12. The method of claim 8, further connecting one or more cords to at least one grommet formed in the secondary body to stabilize the toy.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the at least one projection extends substantially normal to the secondary body.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the primary body extends substantially normal to the secondary body.
 15. The method of claim 8, further comprising floating the secondary body on water.
 16. The method of claim 8, wherein the primary body resembles a cactus. 